Mississippi Rural Placemaking Summit: Full Schedule

9:00am CDT

Opening Plenary: Keynote Address and Round-Table Conversation

Thursday August 1, 2024 9:00am - 10:45am CDT

Keynote Speaker, Carlton Turner

What is Placemaking? A round-table discussion on Placemaking from different perspectives
People come to "Placemaking" from all walks of life, bringing varying experiences and perspectives on what Placemaking is and how it can be used as a tool for economic & community development, the arts, health, tourism and community engagement. Round-table participants will also discuss the importance of Placekeeping and community-led change, ensuring that public spaces reflect the needs of the people who engage with them, authentically representing local desires and community assets, inspiration, and the co-creation and sustainability of public community space.

Speakers

Carlton Turner

Keynote Speaker, Sipp Culture

Carlton Turner works across the country as a performing artist, arts advocate, policy shaper, lecturer, consultant, and facilitator. Carlton is also founder of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production. The MCCP uses arts and agriculture to support rural community, cultural... Read More →

Thursday August 1, 2024 9:00am - 10:45am CDT
Palace Theatre

Plenary, Community Building & Design

11:00am CDT

Place: Map + Design + Build Project: Placemaking in Rural MS

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:15pm CDT

St Andrew's Mission (Front Room)

The Place: Map + Design + Build Project was a program launched in 2023 by the Mississippi Main Street Association in partnership with the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center and funded by the USDA Rural Partners Network. Team members on the project included include Thomas Gregory and Lindsey Harris, MMSA; Randy Wilson, Community Design Solutions; Ben Muldrow, Arnett Muldrow and Associates; Andy Kalback, Kalback Design Studio; Leah Kemp and Fran Pharis, MSU Small Town Center; and Chance McDavid, MSU Stennis Institute.

The Place: Map + Design + Build Project was launched in 11 rural Main Street communities in Mississippi. The purpose of the grant project was to provide support, technical assistance, and training to Main Street programs to foster placemaking activities in rural communities. The 11 Designated Main Street programs selected for the initiative encompass a diverse range of towns, including Amory, Byhalia, Greenville, Greenwood, Pascagoula, Moss Point, Tunica, Woodville, Louisville, Hernando and, of course, Batesville. Each community engaged in a two-day community engagement process where they worked in collaboration with community leaders, stakeholders, and city officials, to develop strategic and customized placemaking plans. The primary focus will be on enhancing existing assets and improving the overall quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:15pm CDT
St Andrew's Mission (Front Room)

Panel, Economic Development

11:00am CDT

A Pathway to Economic Growth: Making Your Community Bike-able and Walkable

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:15pm CDT

Palace Theatre

This session, led by Caron Whitaker, Deputy Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists will share how the development of bikeable and walkable communities can revitalize rural towns, boost local economies, and enhance the quality of life for residents. This breakout session will tackle how bike paths and multi-use trails can attract tourists, increase property values and improve connectivity and community health. Attendees will hear success stories of other small towns transformed because of biking and walking programming and infrastructure and will learn how investing in a bikeable and walkable community can lead to community-wide improvements.

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:15pm CDT
Palace Theatre

Presentation, Health

11:00am CDT

Placemaking for Everyone: Increased livability for All People

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:15pm CDT

St Andrew's Mission (Back Room)

Join us for this session, led by Dr. Kina White, Office Director, Community Health Improvement at the Mississippi Department of Health to discuss strategies for creating inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable communities that appeal to all ages. Attendees will learn about tools they can utilize in their communities, such as becoming an "Age-Friendly" Community, and how to advocate for a "Complete Streets" approach to designing roadways to accommodate all users. This session will use a holistic approach to making your community more accessible and enjoyable for all ages.

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:15pm CDT
St Andrew's Mission (Back Room)

Presentation, Health

11:00am CDT

The Power of the "Pop-Up": Temporary Activation of Public Spaces

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:30pm CDT

Find out how you can harness "The Power of the Pop-up" - by designing your own outdoor space. Find out how Tactical Urbanism and public art can "Activate" public spaces - all on a budget!

Thursday August 1, 2024 11:00am - 12:30pm CDT

Mobile Session, Interactive

12:15pm CDT

Lunch on your own at nearby McComb restaurants

Thursday August 1, 2024 12:15pm - 1:45pm CDT

Enjoy lunch on your own at local downtown McComb restaurants.
Broadway Deli, Fox's Pizza Den and the Dinner Bell are all within walking distances of the Summit!

Thursday August 1, 2024 12:15pm - 1:45pm CDT

Food & Networking

1:45pm CDT

Mobile Bus Tour: See local placemaking in action!

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT

Not feeling like sitting in a session? Jump on our bus and take a tour of placemaking sites around McComb, MS!

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT

Mobile Session, Interactive

1:45pm CDT

Community Engagement: Constructive ways to center community voices

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT

This session will focus on new approaches being used in Mississippi to engage in community listening.
Attendees will discussion a wide range of topics around approaches to community engagement including:

A new approach to news through "Constructive Journalism" in the south
The co-creation of community storytelling through oral histories, neighborhood stories and porch conversations
Research on the gaps that exist between how public information is shared vs how people want to find information
How one neighborhood used Walkability as an entry point to resident-led community change

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT

Panel, Community Building & Design

1:45pm CDT

Re-purposing Spaces Through Adaptive Re-use and Preservation

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT

St Andrew's Mission (Front Room)

This ever-evolving session will walk attendees through examples and tips for repurposing spaces and/or historically signification buildings for new uses while retaining their original architectural features. Examples include converting warehouses into residential lofts, churches into community centers and using innovative design solutions to transform and modernize historical and cultural landmarks or to provide new public spaces that enhance community life.

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT
St Andrew's Mission (Front Room)

Panel, Community Building & Design

1:45pm CDT

Placemaking on a Budget: Building Vibrant Community Spaces

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT

Palace Theatre

Leah Kemp, Director of the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center at MS State University will lead the very popular "Placemaking on a Budget" session where attendees can learn tools and tactics for implementing placemaking in their communities without breaking the bank. We feel that funding should not stop a community from building vibrant, engaging and inclusive public spaces. Come discover practical tips, innovative ideas and successful case studies, such as temporary installations, tactical urbanism, asphalt art, parklets and other cost-effective methods to achieve impactful placemaking projects.

Sponsors

Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center

Thursday August 1, 2024 1:45pm - 3:00pm CDT
Palace Theatre

Presentation, Community Building & Design

3:15pm CDT

Funder Roundtable: Demystifying Funding for Placemaking

Thursday August 1, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT

Palace Theatre

Join us for a FUNDER ROUNDTABLE!
Now that you have your placemaking idea, let's talk about some of the funding available!
This session will include funders and representatives who will share information about federal funding available through the NEA, USDOT and other national funding sources; you'll also hear about local and statewide funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Community Foundation for Mississippi and others from across the region.

Thursday August 1, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
Palace Theatre

Panel, Funding

3:15pm CDT

The Transformative Power of Public Art: Tourism & Community Revitalization

Thursday August 1, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT

St Andrew's Mission (Front Room)

Join us for an engaging breakout session led by the Mississippi Arts Commission, focused on the transformative power of public art as a driver for tourism and community development. Hear from artists and tourism professionals about how public art has helped to engage locals and visitors and how to ensure that public art reflects the identify of a community.

Thursday August 1, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
St Andrew's Mission (Front Room)

Panel, Arts

3:15pm CDT

Empowering a New Generation: Involving Young People in Place-based Change

Thursday August 1, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT

St Andrew's Mission (Back Room)

Dive into the innovative concept of weaving the educational tapestry through placemaking and arts integration, with a special focus on youth engagement in schools and how students can use placemaking to connect to their community. This breakout session will highlight the transformative power of how integrating the arts into educational and communal spaces has shown real results in increased literacy, education test scores and a holistic improvement for the next generation.

Thursday August 1, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
St Andrew's Mission (Back Room)

Presentation, Arts

5:00pm CDT

Happy Hour Reception

Thursday August 1, 2024 5:00pm - 6:30pm CDT

Palace Theatre

Join us for a reception at the Palace Theatre

Thursday August 1, 2024 5:00pm - 6:30pm CDT
Palace Theatre

Networking

Mississippi Rural Placemaking Summit

From $51.94